Tour pro Si Woo Kim offered money … by a tunnel? Here’s the WILD story why

Professional golfer Si Woo Kim, known for his exciting performances on the PGA Tour, found himself at the center of an unusual story that brought smiles to his face and those of many fans. During a recent tournament, he accidentally ended up in a situation where he was offered money… by a border tunnel. And this is not a joke – the offer was even displayed on a sign above the tunnel entrance.

It all started with a simple desire for dinner. Another professional player, Michael Kim, invited Si Woo Kim to dine at a Korean barbecue restaurant. The problem was that in the area where Si Woo was, there were two restaurants with the same name. One was in the United States, and the other was in Canada. Si Woo, without much thought, entered the restaurant's name into his navigation system and set off.

"He searches the name of the restaurant on Google Maps and, without much thinking, starts driving. But before it's too late, he realizes that he's about to cross the U.S. border into Canada! There was a restaurant under the SAME NAME closer to him, in Canada," Michael Kim shared on social media platform X. Si Woo Kim didn't have his passport with him, only his wallet. His attempt to turn back proved futile: the road was one-way, and signs prohibited turning.

Upon reaching the border checkpoint, Si Woo tried to explain the situation to an officer. "I'm driving to dinner with a friend; I came here by accident," he said. The officer, after listening, replied, "OK, don't worry, it happens all the time actually. But I can't let you go back so you have to go across to Canada and then talk to the officers on the other side."

Si Woo crossed the border and waited in line for about 45 minutes. When he finally reached an officer, he again tried to explain what had happened. He was very nervous but managed to convey his story. He pointed to his courtesy car provided by the tournament organizers and said he was there for the golf tournament. The officer, unsure of how to proceed, drove the car to the side and called for backup. Eventually, eight officers surrounded Si Woo Kim's car, discussing the situation and searching the vehicle for weapons and drugs. After a thorough check, he was finally allowed through.

The next day, on Wednesday, the Golf on CBS social media team decided to get Si Woo Kim's side of the story. His account confirmed Michael Kim's version of events.

"Yeah, so Michael Kim texts me, 'You want to grab a dinner?' And then I'll say, 'Sure,'" Si Woo said. "And then he shows me the restaurant name. It's called Daebak. So I just put it in the Google Maps. It's close to my hotel, like 1.5 miles. So I thought it was for sure that one. So I wasn't thinking about Canada or anything. So I just follow the instruction and somehow make a turn, and there's a toll gate, like $9, I had to pay to get through. 'Why is it so expensive?' And then as soon as I get into the tunnel, 'Oh, this is Canada.'"

"So somehow I went to the immigration, I told my situation, and then I went to the stop, like, parking garage office. And then I was so freaking out, so I couldn't speak English very much so he thought I was a weird guy. So he just – the guy's coming at me, searching my car, and somehow I got out of it. He told me, 'Are you going to win this Sunday?' I said, 'If you let me through,'" he added.

The story didn't end there. The Windsor-Detroit Tunnel, through which Si Woo had driven, learned of the amusing incident. The tunnel's management decided to respond to this unusual situation. A sign appeared above the tunnel entrance reading: "Free toll for Si Woo Kim." The toll fee, which normally costs $9, was covered by the tunnel as a unique gesture.

In the end, despite all the adventures, Michael and Si Woo did meet for dinner. "Night ended with a nice kbbq dinner about 90 minutes later than we had originally planned," Michael Kim wrote on X. "Never a dull moment with Si Woo. Thanks for the content my guy." This story became another vivid example that the world of professional golf offers not only intense competitions but also funny, memorable moments that make the sport even more appealing to spectators.